Gamer #6, Infinities, and Canon

I haven't seen this discussed yet, so I thought I would throw it out there (otherwise known as "shoveling fuel on the fire" -- my apologies to all who are sick to death of the Infinities/canon debates).

I got Gamer 6 today, and it had a short piece at the back called "Understanding Infinities". Quoted directly:

[blockquote]According to Lucas Licensing Editor Sue Rostoni, "Canon refers to an authoritative list of books that the Lucas Licensing editors consider an authentic part of the official Star Wars history. Our goal is to present a continuous and unified history of the Star Wars galaxy, insofar as that history does not conflict with, or undermine the meaning of Mr. Lucas's Star Wars saga of films and screenplays." Things that Lucas Licensing does not consider official parts of the continuous Star Wars history show an Infinities logo or are contained in Star Wars Tales. Everything else is considered canon.[/blockquote]I will leave it to greater minds than mine to parse the meaning of the above statement.

III_Vir...
"The continuity policy has not at all changed. Only the wording of it."

Correction. The intent of the continuity policy has not at all changed. However, the continuity policy has completely changed, especially the wording.

Before, the movies (and certain movie-related-products) were deemed to have special status above all - they were Canon. Nothing else was Canon besides those items. In addition, there existed a rigid Heirarchy of Canon which decreed how specific details in contradiction with one another should be handled. Of course, items which were not Canon existed below those, but were still official Star Wars stories. In time, the collective total of these items came to be known as the Star Wars Expanded Universe (or EU for short). They had their own continuity seperate from the Canon items and built, twisted and retold details seen in the Canon items. In time, another classification emerged - Infinities. Infinities while still being official Star Wars stories, took place in an entirely alternate universe apart from either the Canon universe or the Expanded Universe.

Now, we are back down to two classifications without any heirarchy. Everything is Canon unless it is Infinities. Nothing Canon can contradict the movies and screenplays. That is the sum total of LFL's new policy.

In form and function, it is very different from what was given before once you get away from the movies and screenplays as being the sole 100% correct facts of Star Wars.

Or, to sum up simply their new policy, LFL just had their own "Crises of Infinite Earths"...The Expanded Universe has ceased to exist.

I know. This is weird. I saw no teasers on the official sites, and SWRPGNetwork didn't have any news up on it. I already saw this thread, and another reference to it at the Star Wars Galaxies boards. Dang.

Rebecca - when did you subscribe? I hope you do get it. I subscribed online for the Insider about 10 days before an issue was to ship and never got it. I ended up paying the whopping $ 6.99 at B&N, and then my dad found the same issue for $ 1 at a thrift store...::sighs::

I was surprised I got #6 so soon too. Sturm, I used the online subscription form too, and, like you, never received the first issue. I ended up using one of those annoying subscription cards that always fall out when you open the magazine.

All of my previous issues were realllly late -- arriving just a week or so before the newstand edition. Not sure why this one was different, but I do know that the subscription department finally got around to processing my payment after #5 arrived. Maybe that bumped me up on the mailing list.

I got the first issue way back in November. I had thought it was going to come out in December. So, I was surprised... but delighted. But I got Gamer 5 shipped to me about the same time it apeared on newstands! Grr.

Anyway, I look forward to the article. Can you tell us anymore about the issue? What fiction? What other articles? Is it about Tales? Tales of the Jedi? Tales of/from books? Or all three of them?

Wedge 88 -- The issue focuses on bounty hunters and other shady characters. There's just one piece of fiction, but it was a pleasant surprise -- a story called "Rebel Bass" by none other than Kathy Tyers. It was a fun read, and Kathy was up to her old tricks, using music as the backdrop for a SW story.

Other stuff: an RPG article with stats for Dengar, Zuckuss, and 4-LOM, and another focusing on new (?) characters with bounties on their heads; a Battle of Hoth game; plans for building a Death Star model; and an article with stats and background info on characters from Underworld and SW Tales. No Infinities label on that article, for some reason . . .

Frankly, I skimmed most of the issue. I get it for the fiction, and have little to no interest in the RPG stuff. (The Playboy defense -- I only get it for the articles, I swear!)